DONATE BLOOD

The UCKG RSA has engaged into a very blessed campaign in response to a call from the SA Blood Donation due to the constant shortage of blood in our hospitals. Therefore, the Church has invited all those who wanted to participate of this campaign that has started Saturday, 25th of July and will last for one week. I have been to the Auckland Park unit to make my contribution and photos will follow but now I want to invite you who never did it and you are fit, health wise for this task. You can help saving 3 people with your donation. The stations were full, throughout the country, so much so they had to call nurses from their day off to cope with the turn out. At the same time that I am inviting those who did not go as yet, I take the opportunity to thank all of you who did. I am sure the little we did has been helping our hospitals this week. You still have got time. Today is Tuesday and they are open everyday from 9am to 4pm. Check out this link and verify if you are a candidate for the task. http://www.sanbs.org.za/new_donors/NewDon_CanI_malaria.htm

Count Down: 13 Days to Go!

You are Invited

Like Flu

Have you noticed how you suddenly fall sick with flu? It does not give you any notice; it does not show you warning signs. Out of the blue, you have a headache, you feel body pains, runny nose and you find yourself in bed: yesterday you felt good and fit and all of a sudden, you have now a red nose, you are voiceless, dragging your body through the house.
Temptation comes in a similar way. One day you are happy, strong, clean and conscious but, without being alert, it just comes occupying your heart and mind, contaminating your soul, blocking your prayers and stealing all hope.
It gets worse when you give attention to the temptation, when you do its will and turn its way, when you allow your emotions to speak louder than your spirit and from temptation, sin is conceived.
Every human being is subject to that but those who are slaves of feelings and emotions are easy catches.
What most annoys me is that women are always classified in the second category: slaves of emotion. Therefore, we tend to be chronicle patients of temptation and sin.
 It is more related to assumptions rather than real facts: what we guess it has happened, what we imagine someone spoke of us, when we feel that others do not care, what we did that was not properly recognized.
It takes a split of a second to be tempted to judge, to envy, to despise, to hate, to bad mouth a friend, to go out of Christian way and give room to ungodly thoughts. 
I am not implying that men are not subject to it but those who master emotion can easily distinguish hypothesis from real situations therefore narrowing the passages to temptation at an emotional level. "Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me." Psalm 51:10
Once David, a man according to God’s heart, has made such prayer and each one of us who wants to follow such wisdom, should do this same prayer everyday, asking God for a loyal spirit that will bring us closer to Him. We should be faithful in our words and thoughts and that will boost our immunity to the traps of our feelings. 
We will no longer be a chronicle patient of illusion, disappointments, expectations, grudges and we will keep our eyes set on the One above Who will never leave us on our own.
A loyal spirit is the vaccination that will shield you and me throughout the seasons.

PICKING TOMATOES

Did you ever observe another housewife making her food shopping, mainly in the fruit & veggie section? No matter what the ad may say of quality and low prices, there she is carefully examining each and every fruit or veggie. She picks up a tomato and, literally speaking, she examines it: color, size, consistency, kg price, unit price. It looks like it is the very first time she has ever seen a tomato, when, actually, her last groceries shopping was just a week before. Men normally say: why you take so long; at the end of the day, they are all tomatoes! Pick up some and let’s go!
And it goes on with oranges, lemons, potatoes … a thorough examination throughout her shopping list.
Her reasoning, as a housewife, demands of her to be sure she is paying for worthy food to set her table nicely and feed her family in a healthy manner.
But when, we – women, turn to relationships we do not apply the very same criteria. We trust in the “ad”, in the outward appearance, in eloquent words and we give ourselves in totally.
I have been seen many women of God – I am not even focusing on secular women here - getting hurt, deceived, frustrated on the way because of cracks and failures in relationship.
Only because she met someone inside the church, then it seems to her that the person is a fully converted Christian, of good cheer and character, discreet, friendly and will make her happy forever.
Common words are “it is a blessing from God”, “it is the man of God I have been praying for”, “it is the friend I needed so much”, “it is the partner that will help me to improve my business – God answered my prayers”.
She does not “inspect thoroughly” the person, as she does in the supermarket with tomatoes!
My friends, God has and always will answer to your prayers but do not forget that the devil will always be on the way to deceive you. That is why the Holy Spirit has equipped us with an intelligent faith and the Bible motivates us to make use of this faith.
In Luke 14:28, Jesus advises that before we engage in a project, we should “count the costs” let alone if we are going to engage in relationships.
Unfortunately, many women have been despising this advice and allowing her emotions to speak louder. We have been sadly contemplating wrong marriages, friendships and partnerships because one gave more ears to her own feelings rather than to the intelligent faith.
Before embarking into any relationship, opening your heart, trusting your children with someone else, your business, your personal financial matters, your long-term plans, assess the person, examine attitudes, reactions, discuss issues that are important to you, discuss truths of the Bible and pray but be prepared to give ears to the voice of God and not to your heat!.

You will hear about that very soon...

If you ask me how the Woman in Action Project was born….. I would not know!
I remember we were talking about doing something in support of our Day Care Center and the idea of the Flea Market was flourishing, growing until the day we had it.
And right there and then, we understood we could not stop. We deeply believe that Women in Action brings result so why we will take action once in a while whilst there are opportunities to be a helping hand for many.
This is the backstage story of this beautiful project…. So simple but we have committed ourselves to do it wholeheartedly.
Recently our Women in Action Project has participated of the Soldiers’ Meeting in Park Station sharing a little bit of our achievements and our future plans and also praying for all who attended to that blessed service.
We have engaged in two projects now – the empowerment of 10 women from Diepsloot community and to put our efforts and talents together to help out an orphanage from Limpopo.
Not forgetting that we will be together in a great Women’s meeting in Soweto in August.
How you can get involved, participate and help? You will hear about that very soon… and I know you will be enthusiastic about it.
For now, I want to encourage you to experience what each one of us – pastors’ wives – have been experiencing through this project:
• You can do things you do not believe you are able to
• You have got hidden talents,
• You can make an impact wherever you live or work
• Take action about whatever plan, dream, or situation you are bound to
When women take action, results are certain. When you take action you will see results of your faith. Faith without action is dead.

Marcia Pires